your understanding of islamic history is not too good Sir. muslims never when into other nations JUST for the resources of others. maybe u comfuse muslims with Capitalist?
Ummmm, please tell me where I said anything about Islam or Muslims being capitalists *anywhere* in my post. It was a post about the weakness and lack of unity in the arab world in the face of adversity.
So yeah. Arab tribalism, inherited conservatism, geopolitical manipulation and religious intolerance. Me in the 'burbs of Montreal, sitting here on the couch with my
steve, i really liked the old lay out much better. most of the comments are gone for one thing, and keeping the outlook was easier before!
I know I know hun! It's very much a work in progress... I brought back most of the comments, and I'm going to fix up the layout as soon as I can find the time.
ok, i was not as shocked by your 'article' as i thought i would be when i first learned of your intentions of posting something in that direction.
however i finished reading it with mixed emotions, partially because i found i was agreeing with you (hah).
i will not react aggressively, i await with utmost anxiety your next post, and will then make a better picture of what you're getting at.
[...] "It's really a lose-lose situation whenever I try explaining where I come from. Shouldn't "Planet Earth" be enough?"
----> i prefer the term 'citizen of the world'
[...] "there should logically be a superpower sitting there, between Israel and India." [...]
----> i prefer 'Palestine'.
I don't like "citizen", because it implies that I'm following someone else's rules.
i prefer 'Palestine'
Hmmmm... I'm not going to get into that discussion here. But for the most part, I think you know that I don't disagree with you. Although I said "Israel", because, of course, I would envision that Palestine were a part of this Arab supernation, which coexisted peacefully with Israel.
Mon, 12/13/2004 - 22:24 — five blue (not verified)
i'm not about to enter any debate here - rather i can admit my profound ignorance about the history and politics of the middle east.
i was just wondering - i grew up (well, once i got catapulted to the city) in a neighborhood i acurately named "new beyrouth" (not only because of the population, but also the violence, etc. - although i don't want to appear disrespectful - my neighborhood was quite a lot better than beyrouth during the war and i know it). and the people (kids) there were adamant that lebanese and egyptian arabic were different. in fact my egyptian friend did not understand all that the lebanese said. (i understood only the insults, and then only because they were repeated very often - that, and my best friend was so pale they assumed she didn't speak arabic - well she chose not to, but she understood it quite well and would explain). so isn't arabic like other languages - with its own dialects? i mean you'd say you speak french here, not Qu?
and the people (kids) there were adamant that lebanese and egyptian arabic were different. in fact my egyptian friend did not understand all that the lebanese said.
Oh no, I agree with that. There are several culture differences that tend to follow the current borders, as well as different dialecs and language issues.
What I meant was that as an ethnic agglomeration, the region has more apathy for itself than it should.
Here's an example. Say, tomorrow, the United States decided that Nova Scotia was in fact American, and they needed to control it to protect themselves from the rising European powers. Stupid, I know, but bear with me.
So the invaded it, killing several thousand Canadians. What would be your immediate feelings to that event?
and about how yet too many young arab men were being raised - to be violent and misogynistic. young women were being raised differently too, but in a completely different way, sheltered and overprotected. which never prevented me from finding great people, who, there as everywhere, can be found when one looks hard enough;-)
Exactly, you've touched on one of the underlying problems behind the stunted Arab position: inherited conservatism. I wanted to get to that on part 2 of this topic, but I'll mention it briefly here.
Boys are strong, girls are weak, etc. It's not a religious issue, but a cultural one (Christian Arab adolescents are among the most misogynist I know of). It's a fundamental handicap that has, I believe kept us from discovering and nurturing our greatest talents. Sure we have some incredible talents... poets, singers, philosophers... but where's our Joan of Arc? Where's our Helen Keller? Instead, most of the best-known Arab figures were military or political geniuses - until, of course, America took the technological edge and rendered Arab military power into an oxymoron.
Mon, 12/13/2004 - 22:17 — Amr Al-Hindi (not verified)
" Trouble is, more often than not, the tales are being told by someone in between puffs of Malboros or sips of Coca-Cola, with his Cadillac Escalade parked outside. "
Most of the Arabs I know prefer BMWs over Cadillacs I get your point, though, and I agree with most of what you say.
Comments
muslims are not capitalists
your understanding of islamic history is not too good Sir. muslims never when into other nations JUST for the resources of others. maybe u comfuse muslims with Capitalist?
huh?
Ummmm, please tell me where I said anything about Islam or Muslims being capitalists *anywhere* in my post. It was a post about the weakness and lack of unity in the arab world in the face of adversity.
The Eternal Vanity of the Arab Identity - Part Deux
(Continued from here)
So yeah. Arab tribalism, inherited conservatism, geopolitical manipulation and religious intolerance. Me in the 'burbs of Montreal, sitting here on the couch with my
my photo gallery...
steve, i really liked the old lay out much better. most of the comments are gone for one thing, and keeping the outlook was easier before!
Re: my photo gallery...
I know I know hun! It's very much a work in progress... I brought back most of the comments, and I'm going to fix up the layout as soon as I can find the time.
Re: The Eternal Vanity of the Arab Identity
ok, i was not as shocked by your 'article' as i thought i would be when i first learned of your intentions of posting something in that direction.
however i finished reading it with mixed emotions, partially because i found i was agreeing with you (hah).
i will not react aggressively, i await with utmost anxiety your next post, and will then make a better picture of what you're getting at.
[...] "It's really a lose-lose situation whenever I try explaining where I come from. Shouldn't "Planet Earth" be enough?"
----> i prefer the term 'citizen of the world'
[...] "there should logically be a superpower sitting there, between Israel and India." [...]
----> i prefer 'Palestine'.
re: Mays-Maria
.
I don't like "citizen", because it implies that I'm following someone else's rules.
Hmmmm... I'm not going to get into that discussion here. But for the most part, I think you know that I don't disagree with you. Although I said "Israel", because, of course, I would envision that Palestine were a part of this Arab supernation, which coexisted peacefully with Israel.
leave it to me to get stuck to a linguistic question
i'm not about to enter any debate here - rather i can admit my profound ignorance about the history and politics of the middle east.
i was just wondering - i grew up (well, once i got catapulted to the city) in a neighborhood i acurately named "new beyrouth" (not only because of the population, but also the violence, etc. - although i don't want to appear disrespectful - my neighborhood was quite a lot better than beyrouth during the war and i know it). and the people (kids) there were adamant that lebanese and egyptian arabic were different. in fact my egyptian friend did not understand all that the lebanese said. (i understood only the insults, and then only because they were repeated very often - that, and my best friend was so pale they assumed she didn't speak arabic - well she chose not to, but she understood it quite well and would explain). so isn't arabic like other languages - with its own dialects? i mean you'd say you speak french here, not Qu?
re: leave it to me
Oh no, I agree with that. There are several culture differences that tend to follow the current borders, as well as different dialecs and language issues.
What I meant was that as an ethnic agglomeration, the region has more apathy for itself than it should.
Here's an example. Say, tomorrow, the United States decided that Nova Scotia was in fact American, and they needed to control it to protect themselves from the rising European powers. Stupid, I know, but bear with me.
So the invaded it, killing several thousand Canadians. What would be your immediate feelings to that event?
Exactly, you've touched on one of the underlying problems behind the stunted Arab position: inherited conservatism. I wanted to get to that on part 2 of this topic, but I'll mention it briefly here.
Boys are strong, girls are weak, etc. It's not a religious issue, but a cultural one (Christian Arab adolescents are among the most misogynist I know of). It's a fundamental handicap that has, I believe kept us from discovering and nurturing our greatest talents. Sure we have some incredible talents... poets, singers, philosophers... but where's our Joan of Arc? Where's our Helen Keller? Instead, most of the best-known Arab figures were military or political geniuses - until, of course, America took the technological edge and rendered Arab military power into an oxymoron.
Re: The Eternal Vanity of the Arab Identity
" Trouble is, more often than not, the tales are being told by someone in between puffs of Malboros or sips of Coca-Cola, with his Cadillac Escalade parked outside. "
Most of the Arabs I know prefer BMWs over Cadillacs
I get your point, though, and I agree with most of what you say.
re: BMWs over Cadillacs
Well, most of the ones here don't have that much good taste.
It's just that this particular person fit the stereotype that I used to make my point quite well.